Every Time You Fall
by teofse
Summary: "Not a dream, then. You are really here, on my bed. That's just—Wow."


**Title:** Every Time You Fall.

**Author:** Teofse

**Rating:** G

**Pairing:** Loki/Tony

**Genre:** Slash.

**Word Count:** 926

**Challenge:** Written in response to prompt challenge: **Catch.**

**Warnings:** None. Unbetaed.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own these characters. No money is being made out of this work.

**Summary:** "Not a dream, then. You are really here, on my bed. That's just—Wow."

**Every Time You Fall.**

Fragile rays of morning sunshine filtered in through the blinds, bringing Tony into an inexplicably hangover-free wakefulness. His eyelashes fluttered slowly apart and he smiled delightedly, gazing with soft-eyed wonder at the pale figure curled around him in restful slumber.

"Loki..." He sighed, clenching restless fingertips on the tangled bedding to stop himself from touching the relaxed curve of that way-too-thin shoulder. If he was dreaming right now he'd rather hold onto this sweet bliss for a while longer.

"You are thinking loud enough to wake up giants, Stark." Despite the wariness that darkened the bright green of Loki's eyes his sleep-slurred words were soft and playful when he finally abandoned his peaceful world of dreams to find himself the focus of Tony's thoughtful scrutiny.

Tony smiled at the bratty snark and the adorable blush that bloomed across an aristocratic cheekbone as soon as he grazed it with gentle fingertips.

"Not a dream, then. You are really here, on my bed. That's just—Wow."

Loki stiffened from head to foot, shifting away from his touch. Wary dark head rearing backwards while those gorgeous green eyes searched the floor for his clothes.

"I must leave." He whispered, tone gone harsh with such frantic panic that Tony's heart came dangerously close to breaking. "This shouldn't have hap..."

"But it did, so deal with it, reindeer."

That's when he finally learned that a shocked God really looked pretty much like a shocked human being: all huge eyes, gaping mouth and that odd mix of dazed horror and uncomprehending disbelief that Tony has always been able to wrench from everyone who is courageous enough to come this close to him.

"How can I even start to 'deal with this', as you so charmingly put it, Stark? We work together. I am still on probation. Father will be furious about this and Thor..."

"They'll have to deal with it too, babe. It's unreasonable of anyone to expect you to go all monk-like just because you're on probation. Sex is a basic human need, and don't start with the crap about how you're no 'mere mortal" because I'm pretty sure it works that way for Gods too. There are all kinds of books and stuff dedicated to describing the kinky things you people get up to when you're horny. I've read all about the swan thing, the horny bulls and let's not forget the steamy horse hook-up."

Loki recoiled further away, looking absolutely stricken.

"I've never laid with an animal, Stark! I don't know what you mean about the swan and the bulls, but the story about the horse is an abominable lie. Sleipnir is my father's steed. I am not related to that beast in any way."

Tony sat on the bed, reaching out to frame Loki's distressed face as gently as he could.

"Hey, hey... you need to calm down, gorgeous. I wasn't accusing you of—whatever. I was just trying to say that sex is something that happens all the time."

Loki swallowed, clearly uncomfortable with both the topic at hand and Tony's delicate hold.

"That being as it may, this is not the same, Stark. Sex between enemies is not honorable."

"But this wasn't sex between enemies, cupcake. We work together, remember? I've been dying to get into your pants for two bloody years. Last night it finally happened and it was amazing. You were amazing, babe. You rocked my world and all that jazz, so—yeah. I'm not sorry that it happened and I'm not letting anyone guilt you into feeling bad about it, either."

"I was weak. I shouldn't have..."

"Sshh, Loki, just... sshh. Don't do this to me, princess." Tony pleaded, lowering his head and kissing the god silent, worshiping those trembling thin lips until their owner's rigidly held body became soft and pliant in his arms.

"Stark..."

"Tony. Call me Tony, babe."

"Tony, I..."

"It's going to be alright. I swear that this -you and me tangled together in awesomely romantic bliss- is going to work out fine, sweetheart. Don't ask me how I know it because I don't have a fucking clue of how I know it, but I do. Call it instinct, or science, or magic. Hell, I'll let you call it whatever you want as long as the name doesn't scare you away, but let me tell you just this once that we, humans, call this love."

Loki's widened green eyes made him look heartbreakingly vulnerable as he stared right at him, literally pale with shock and trembling like a leaf.

"Love." He repeated that one word as if he'd never heard it before in his entire life and then voiced his next sentence with the kind of insecurity that tied Tony's churning guts into a hundred awfully tight little knots. "Why would you love me? I'm..."

"As imperfect as I am, and even more damaged. But you are also clever, powerful, amazingly attractive and a God to boot. I'd be an idiot not to love you and I'm no idiot, reindeer. I'm almost certainly the smartest guy on this planet."

Loki laughed, a small sound brimming with genuine pleasure that coiled around Tony's heart and settled deep inside it. Making him feel warm and silly and delighted all at once.

"I suppose it's lucky that I've always liked smart guys, then."

Tony beamed, looking right into his God's slightly flushed face with unrepentant adoration.

"That's it, Loki. That's it. Let yourself fall for me and I'll catch you, sweetheart. I'll catch you every time you fall. I swear it."


End file.
